The following San Diego Zoo tips will get you and your family off on a fabulous adventure. Whether you choose to take flight or hit the road, we can help you get there. You may elect to rent a car, use the hotel shuttle, or sign up for Lyft or Uber.
I am what you would call a ‘Zoo person.’ I love the Zoo and always have. If there is a Zoo in a city we are visiting, you can bet we will be going. I can even match my child’s developmental milestones with trips to the Zoo!
San Diego Zoo Tips #1: Getting you to San Diego!
The San Diego Zoo offers vacation packages to suit just about everyone. Just put in the dates you will be visiting, rooms needed, the number of adults and children staying, and the price range that you are most comfortable with.
The various hotels in the area offer special discounts, free breakfast, and exclusive packages that include Zoo admission. Zoo admission includes the Skyfari tram, unlimited use of the Guided Bus Tour, access to all exhibits and shows, and you can use the Express Bus throughout the Zoo. To see select Zoo packages, click here.
For flight information and fares, check out the travel sites of Expedia, Travelocity, Skyscanner, Kayak or Trivago.
San Diego Zoo Tips #2: Planning your Day at the Zoo!
The San Diego Zoo covers nearly 100-acres. It is home to more than 3,700 endangered
animals, and representing more than 650 rare species and subspecies. The botanical collection contains more than 700,000 exotic plants. It is located in Balboa Park that is just north of downtown San Diego.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a wildlife sanctuary that is home to more than 2,600 animals representing more than 300 species. Over half of the Park’s 1,800 acres have been
set aside as protected native species habitat. It is located 30 miles north of downtown San Diego in the San Pasqual Valley.
Before you arrive at the Zoo, you may want to select a couple of Experiences or Activities offered by the Zoo that interest you. This will allow you to make arrangements, and avoid any disappointment by missing show times or being unable to get tickets.
Some of the activities include a Guided Bus Tour, Skyfari, Play Areas, 4-D Theaters, and Shows. Some of the experiences include a Backstage Pass, Early Morning with Pandas, or Sunrise Surprise Stroll.
The San Diego Zoo offers an Itinerary Helper to make sure that you see everything you want to see while you are visiting. You can add events to your itineraries such as nighttime
Zoo activities, activities involving reptiles, birds, arthropods, tours, shopping, and more.
San Diego Zoo Tips #3 – Finding Places to Eat
The San Diego Zoo can satisfy almost any food craving you have. With a dozen restaurants
to choose from, there is something for everyone. Alberts is a restaurant in a treehouse (who would not love that), plus you get to overlook a private waterfall!
There is Australian cuisine, Asian favorites, Mexican and American entrees, and even the Sabertooth Grill that promotes sustainable agricultural practices. For menus and locations, click here.
San Diego Zoo Tips #4 – General Visitor Information
The San Diego Zoo is a smoke-free facility, so there is no smoking allowed anywhere on the site (sorry smokers). You can check your bags, rent strollers, lockers, wheelchairs, and motorized wheelchairs on a first come first serve basis near the entrance.
There are ATM’s available throughout the Zoo for all of those adorable Knick-knacks that you swore you would not buy for your kids. There is a lost and found, but you need to leave your pets at home or the hotel because there are no kennels available at the Zoo. There is a first aid station that is staffed daily from open to close just in case the inevitable accident happens.
San Diego Zoo Tips #5 – Have A Fantastic Adventure!
Get out your calendar and pick your days to visit the world renowned San Diego Zoo! There is so much to see and do that you may need a vacation from your vacation! A little planning goes a long way in making sure that you see and do everything that you want. Of course, planning is never set in stone, so be flexible, have fun, and be prepared to be amazed at all of the animals you will get to experience.
